Water use restrictions will continue in Cupertino even though the state has declared an end to the drought emergency.

At its meeting on May 2, the city council heard an update from Roger Lee, assistant director of public works, about regional drought response and water restrictions for 2017-18 and voted unanimously in favor of the regulations.

Lee told the council that even though the region received above-average rainfall during the wet season and most of the local reservoirs are at or above capacity, the Santa Clara Valley Water District is still calling for 20 percent water conservation compared to 2013 water usage.

“Continued water conservation is a California way of life,” Lee said.

Continued restrictions prohibit the waste of potable water by creating runoff on sidewalks and gutters or hosing off sidewalks and driveways. Residents are being asked to only water outdoors three days a week and refrain from using outdoor irrigation for 48 hours after measurable rainfall.

The restrictions also mean that the city’s ponds in Memorial Park will remain dry, which they have been since 2014.

Lee said the ponds require about 700,000 gallons to fill, and there is about a half inch of evaporation per day. The ponds waste approximately 2.6 million gallons of water per year, without factoring in leakage, which might be accelerated due to a lack of maintenance.

Councilman Barry Chang speculated that the ponds would likely leak more now because they have been unused for so long.

Staff originally proposed reducing the operating hours for the interactive fountains in front of the civic center and library. The hours would have been changed from noon to 6 p.m. rather than from the current 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. schedule.

Councilman Steven Scharf asked Lee how much water the civic center fountains lose and if restricting the hours would make a difference.

Lee said the fountains probably lose hundreds of gallons of water per hour, but the restrictions could be adjusted because the fountains are “really enjoyed by the community.”

The council suggested the fountains mirror the library;s hours Monday through Thursday and run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., then run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday even though the library closes at 6 p.m. those days.

Timm Borden, director of public works, said the city would monitor the use of the interactive fountains and adjust the hours accordingly.

According to the staff report, the Santa Clara Valley Water District board of directors voted in January to continue the call for water use restrictions. On April 7, Gov. Jerry Brown rescinded the state of emergency for the drought, but “adopted text of emergency regulation for water conservation” which will stay in effect until Nov. 25. On April 26, the state water board rescinded mandatory conservation standards.

Kristi Myllenbeck covers all things Cupertino, from crime and breaking news to education and development. She has been working for Silicon Valley Community Newspapers since 2015. She is a San Jose State University alumna and enjoys hiking and camping in her spare time.

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